A well-known printing device collates a password input by a user and authentication information attached to printing data (hereafter, authentication printing data), and executes print processing when the authentication print data, in which authentication information such as a password is attached, is transmitted from numerous host devices on a communication network. This printing device deletes the authentication printing data if the user does not input a password within a predetermined period of time.
In order to solve the above-described problems, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Application Publication No. 2006-231673 discloses a printing device that inquires the host device of a transmission source whether or not the output period of authentication printing data needs to be extended when the user does not provide instructions for the authentication printing data until the predetermined period of time has elapsed from the time the authentication printing data was received. When the host device does not reply to this inquiry, the printing device deletes the authentication printing data.
However, it is always necessary for the user to reply to the inquiry whether or not the output period of the authentication printing data by the printing device needs to be extended. In other words, if the user does not reply to this inquiry, the authentication printing data is deleted after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.